Surgical appliance, brace, and socket for arms and legs



July 10, 1923. 11,461,]1fi1 R. w. REED SURGICAL APPLIANCE, BBACE, AND SOCKET FOR ARMS AND LEGS Filed June' 10 1921 4)- A I IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII/IIII/I/IIIII/IIIIII/L3 Patented July 10, 1923.

UNITED STATES menial ea'rsnr orriea.

' ROBERT. WILLIAM aEEnfor aocrrnsrrna, MINNESOTA.

sURGIcAI. ArrLIANcE, BRACE, AND socKETroR ARMS .AND LEGS.

Application 'filed June 10,

To all whomz't may concern: p

Be it known that I, ROBERT WILLIAM Brno, a subject of George V, King of England, residing at Rochester, county of Olmsted, State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Surgi' cal Appliances, Braces, and Sockets for Arms and Legs, of which the following. is a specification. This invention relates to surgical appliances and particularly to all that class of moulded or formed devices adapted for use 'in case of deformity or operation such as arm or leg sockets, shoulder caps or braces or jackets or braces for all purposes of cor rective treatment or supplement or substitute. i

In all such appliances the great difliculty has been to secure strong and light structures that might be adapted to the individual caseand all its peculiarities and requirements.

Strength, lightness and conformity have been most difficult to attain. Various materials have been utilized with various degrees of satisfaction or success.

Celluloid-has been variously used. The problem has beentoembody reinforcement in such structures so I as to get maximum rigidity with minimum weight and perfection of fit. e j

Without attempting a discussion'of all the methods and combinations of materials which have been'attempted in different hospitals and different countries, I will proceed to a discussion of my own method and its successful practice as demonstrated in. a great variety of cases ofcorrective and supplementative surgical applications.

My examples are necessarily illustrative as it will be understood that no two cases piece on the 1921. Serial No. 476,634.

usual manner. This negative (not shown) is filled with liquid plaster Paris forming a positive P. This positive P, I build up for about one-eighth of an inch all around as at P and then stretch on it a piece of stockingette S which I paint with non-combustible celluloid. This celluloid is conveniently prepared by adding acetone to clear scrap celluloid and putting in 2% calcium chloride to make it non-inflammable. Over this I apply strips of gauze or crinoline which are laid so that each overlapsthe one previously laid and these are painted on with the celluloid to form a shell-like strata 2.

hen Ihave built this strata up to about half the desired thickness I stretch a piece of rawhide 3 which has been rendered flexi- .ble and moist over the form, tacking it in place where necessary until thoroughly dry. After the rawhide has been dried in place the tacks may be removed and therawhide "permanently glued in position. The rawhide should be covered witha piece of closely woven cotton mate-rial 4 which. is glued to the surface of the rawhide. Care should be taken to rub off any glue that has come through the material. After this the cotton surface may be painted with the celluloid sired through the form and the form equipped with desire-d fastenings. In cases where a deformity has to be covered, I. proceed as in the previous case up to the point where the rawhide is stretched and covered with the cotton material. I then remove the form from the positive and build up the positive to normal size and again cover it with stockingette or gauze 1 as before. I then remove the built up plaster layer from the positive and replace the first layer of the form on the positive. To this first layer I glue the second layer and then finish the two united layers as in the first case described.

In making arm sockets I preferably shape a wooden form from caliper measurements The stockingette may then be stretched on the block and the socket built up as in the limb appliances first described.

In making such articles as shoulder caps,

a positive is made from the negative and built up at any tender spots or whei'rnecesibuilt out to give a normal appearance. The cap may then be made-0n this positive so prepared in the manner described at first. Sockets for amputation below the line may be made by getting a positive cast of the stump and building and shaping as near as possible to thenormalleg. Stockingette and celluloid with a rawhidereinforcement is then built up s in other appliances.

The rawhide reinforcement 23 embodied as above gives great strength to the form without materially adding to the weight. When the rawhide is properly shaped and set it is very readily embodied in the stockingetteandcellluloid shell. In making arch supports for the treat ment of fallen arches and the like, a cast of the foot is first taken and the celluloid and rawhide are'then applied in the-manner heretofore described. After the rawhide is applied, a piece of hard felt is built into the arch support and the whole is of my invention if within the limits of the appended claims.

lVhat I therefore desire to secure byLetters" Patent is:

1. An appliance of the class described comprising superimposed layers of stripped, open mesh fabric laid in non-inflammable celluloid and having embodied therein a sheet of rawhide stretched and moulded therein a sheet of rawhide stretched and moulded and covered with a close mesh fabric and'united to itsadjacent layers.

t; The method of forming appliances'of the class described consisting in making a ncgativeyin forming a positive cast from the negative, in building up the'positive, in forming thereon a shell composed of fabric laid in celluloid. penetrating and uniting the same, informing a moulded rawhide reinforcement on .gsaid shell prior to its completion, inuniting fabric to said rawhide reinforcement and in un-itingtheieto successive laminations of fabric and celluloid solution and in finishing.

5; The method of forming appliances of the class described consisting in making a negative, in forming a. positive cast from the negative, 'in building up the positive, in forming thereon a shell composed'ofopen mesh fabric'laid in overlapping strips with paintingsof celluloid in solution penetrating and uniting thesame, in forming a moulded. rawhide: reinforcement on said shell prior to its completion, iii-uniting a piece of close mesh fabric'to said rawhide reinforcement and in uniting: thereto succesand uniting thesame, in forming a moulded rawhide reinforcement on. said shell prior to its completion, in building in asaid rawhide reinforcement in successivelaminations of fabric and a celluloid solution.

my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT WILLIAM :annn.

lVitnesses Gonnon GLOW, J. A. POLAND.

. ive lamination's; of op I l' mesh fabric 

